Regular eye exams help us find vision problems. And they let us see how your eyes are changing over time. Let's learn about what happens at an eye exam.
First, who gives an eye exam? You can go to an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. How often you need an eye exam depends on your age and health.
During your eye exam, you read from an eye chart. This lets us see if you need glasses or contact lenses. Or, if you already wear them, we can see if your vision has changed.
Next, we look inside your eyes. We may give you eye drops to make your pupils larger. We check the health of your retina (that's the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye). We look at other structures in your eye, too. We look at the surface of your eye. That's the "cornea." We may test the pressure inside your eye. And we may take photos of the inside of your eye.
After your exam, your vision may be blurry. You may need to wear dark glasses while the eyedrops wear off and your pupils return to normal. This takes several hours. Someone else may need to drive you home from an eye exam.
Vision loss can happen without you realizing it. So get eye exams regularly. For more info, talk to your doctor.